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Syracuse Crunch defenseman Mark Barberio on even keel as he tries to raise his game to NHL

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After earning defenseman of the year and second-team all-league status the past two seasons, Syracuse Crunch defenseman Mark Barberio is looking to skate his way out of the AHL.
(Scott Schild | SSchild@syracuse.com)

Mark Barberio's climb toward the NHL has been steady and purposeful, one he hopes culminates in a full-time job with the Tampa Bay Lightning this season.

Two seasons ago, Barberio, a sixth-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2008, was the AHL's defenseman of the year for Norfolk. Last year, he was a second-team AHL performer for the Syracuse Crunch.

Now, he finds himself in the position of having very little left to prove in the AHL yet so much to show before he can unpack his bags in the NHL.

"I'm just approaching it the way I always have," Barberio told NHL.com. "I just want to put my best foot forward, play my best hockey, and then it's up to the coaches to decide whether I deserve to stay.

"I'll just have to find a way to become consistent in this league. Things happen faster here. When you get the puck you've got to know right away what you're doing with it. But there's always a change of pace when you move up. It's about adjusting your game."

Barberio has one big edge in his challenge this preseason - a familiarity with Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper. Cooper has coached him for almost three seasons in the AHL.

"He's been with me for three years and I know what he can do," Cooper said. "Now he's just got to show everybody else what he can do. Can he keep up to the [NHL] speed? Can he think the game a little quicker, because the hockey IQ at this level is very high?"

Barberio will have another chance to impress the bosses tonight when Tampa Bay visits Nashville for a preseason contest.